The Association for the British Pharmaceutical today published a response to last weeks Lancet editorial on their website here.
The ABPI has responded by saying that the document is not an ABPI document, nor was it led by the ABPI, but it was "agreed and signed by a range of healthcare organisations". The statement outlines some of the measures the ABPI has taken to drive change within the pharmaceutical industry, including deciding to cease the provision of promotional aids and forcing pharmaceutical companies to disclose any payments they make to medical professionals to endorse their products by 2016. The ABPI says that it has a code of practice that requires companies to disclose details of the results of all clinical trials within one year of the drug being authorised for market. Companies also have to publically register clinical trials within 21 days of them starting. "We believe that greater transparency of clinical trial data is in the best interest of patients, medicine and science. Our differences lie in how this should be achieved." The ABPI is part of an EMA working group looking into the "mechanics of exactly how to do this".
Speaking in an article posted on wired.co.uk earlier today, Author and epidemiologist Dr Ben Goldacre, who supports the Bad Guidelines campaign, is not satisfied with this response. Read his full reply on Wired.
The ABPI has responded by saying that the document is not an ABPI document, nor was it led by the ABPI, but it was "agreed and signed by a range of healthcare organisations". The statement outlines some of the measures the ABPI has taken to drive change within the pharmaceutical industry, including deciding to cease the provision of promotional aids and forcing pharmaceutical companies to disclose any payments they make to medical professionals to endorse their products by 2016. The ABPI says that it has a code of practice that requires companies to disclose details of the results of all clinical trials within one year of the drug being authorised for market. Companies also have to publically register clinical trials within 21 days of them starting. "We believe that greater transparency of clinical trial data is in the best interest of patients, medicine and science. Our differences lie in how this should be achieved." The ABPI is part of an EMA working group looking into the "mechanics of exactly how to do this".
Speaking in an article posted on wired.co.uk earlier today, Author and epidemiologist Dr Ben Goldacre, who supports the Bad Guidelines campaign, is not satisfied with this response. Read his full reply on Wired.